


straight to the top

by i_was_human



Category: SuperM (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 100 (Music Video), Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Gen, Guns, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Power Corrupts, idk how to tag this, taemin: a capitalist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25957771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_was_human/pseuds/i_was_human
Summary: "This is dangerous, you know."Taemin shrugs, folding his hands on his desk and raising his head to meet Baekhyun's gaze. "All the best things are."
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun & Lee Taemin, Kim Jongin | Kai & Lee Taemin, Lee Taeyong & Everyone
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	straight to the top

"This is dangerous, you know."

Taemin shrugs, folding his hands on his desk and raising his head to meet Baekhyun's gaze. "All the best things are."

Baekhyun sighs, gaze drifting to the wall of windows next to them. The technicolor city stretches out below, rainbow lights glowing in the pitch-black, and he turns his attention back to Taemin, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"You've provoked Taeyong," he states, and Taemin arches a brow, raising his head to meet his gaze. 

"Without Lucas, he's hardly a threat."

Baekhyun nearly laughs at that. "You thought that about Junmyeon-hyung, too-"

"And Junmyeon _wasn't_."

Taemin stares at him, eyes dark and flint-like, and his lips quirk into a twisted smirk. "We run this city, Baekhyun-ah. You can relax a little more."

Baekhyun decides not to mention that without him and Jongin, Taemin wouldn't be able to run _shit_ , and instead nods.

"Always so stressed," Taemin frowns, and for an instant, Baekhyun can see the man he once knew - childish, playful - before it melts away. "Those kids aren't threats, Baekhyunnie."

"NCT-"

"They're an acrobat, a graffiti artist, and a company washout," Taemin simply replies, resting his chin on his hand. "They won't be able to do anything."

That-

is a bit overconfident, Baekhyun thinks.

"If you say so," he simply replies, turning to take his leave.

"Ah, Baekhyunnie..."

He turns, eyes flashing, and Taemin smiles, saccharine-sweet and oil-slick.

"Send up Jonginnie, would you? He didn't report in last night."

Baekhyun swallows back refusals and simply nods, striding out of the room and squaring his jaw.

Some day, this is going to come to an end.

* * *

"How are we going to do this?"

Truth be told, Taeyong doesn't know.

Mark and Ten sit across from him, the former fidgeting with a necklace - one of Yukhei's, Taeyong realizes, and the taller man's absence _aches_ \- and the latter staring at his hands, gaze empty.

It's more like a funeral than anything else.

He knows Jongin promised them Yukhei would be safe, but _how can he make that promise_?

Lights pass by in flickers, and Taeyong jolts to his feet as a thump rings through the air, the sound of someone landing on the subway roof all too familiar.

He counts to sixteen, and someone swings through the gaping hole where a back door once sat.

"Hey," Jongin greets, black hair windswept and a faint grin on his lips. "What'd I miss?"

"Where's Yukhei?" Mark asks, voice a dull rasp, and Jongin points up. "You sent him to _space_?"

"Taemin-ah tried to," Jongin replies, "but he's fine. He's hiding out at my place for the moment. Now- how're we going to do this?"

Three pairs of eyes land on Taeyong, and the unofficial leader sighs, raking a hand through his two-colored hair.

"We need to kill Taemin."

Their gazes shift to Jongin, who's fallen into silent contemplation. "...yeah," he finally replies, raising his head to stare out the window. "You're right."

"Do you know where Onew and Suho are?" Mark quizzes, and Jongin's gaze goes distant for a moment.

"Dead," he finally replies. "Killed when he- when _we_ took power."

"What about Baekhyun?"

"He's not happy like this," Jongin states, and Taeyong nods. "I think he might be willing to side with us."

"So, just so I'm getting this right," Ten cuts in, "it's six of us against the person that runs this entire city?"

"He can't run anything without me and Baekhyun," Jongin points out. "He needs me to... to keep people in line, and he needs Baekhyun to make the plans he'll execute."

"We're going to die," Ten states, and Mark frowns, leaning over to pat his shoulder.

"C'mon, man, be a little more optimistic!"

Taeyong nods, moving to stare out the back of the subway car. "Okay. So, here's what we'll do..."

* * *

"Long time no see, Yukhei-yah."

Yukhei grins, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he stares at Taeyong and Mark. "So, we're the attack team?"

"Yep," Mark replies, popping the 'p'. "Brains, brawn, and beauty, y'know? If you can't talk your way out of a situation, you just fight your way out."

"Yeah!" Yukhei, bless his heart, cheers.

They make their way through the skyscraper, taking out any guard they see. Taeyong's still nervous over leaving Ten with Jongin and Baekhyun, but Ten assured him _many_ times he can take both of them (which taeyong privately doubts) so he's not as stressed as he would be otherwise.

Barely.

When they arrive at the rendezvous point, they're the first group there, so Yukhei and Taeyong watch either hall for intruders while Mark watches the elevators.

It's completely silent - almost deafeningly so.

That silence is broken with an elevator bing.

The trio trains their weapons on the doors, the metal sliding open painfully slowly, and once it does, Taeyong's blood runs cold.

Taemin stands there, a smirk on his lips and eyes eclipsed by the brim of his cowboy hat. And next to him, training a gun on Mark-

Ten.

What?

"Ten?" Yukhei ventures, eyes wide with something between joy and betrayal. "What... what's going on?"

"I'm picking a side," Ten simply replies, hand not shaking in the slightest. "I don't want to die here."

"Where are Jongin and Baekhyun?" Taeyong asks, and Ten's lips curl into a grin. "You-"

"Put the guns down."

Taeyong's blood runs cold at the sound of Jongin's voice, and he wheels, gaze landing on a dull-eyed Baekhyun.

"Put the guns down," the blue-haired man states, and Taeyong slowly bends down, placing the weapon at his feet.

"Hyung," Mark tries, "we can't just-"

"Put it down, Mark."

Yukhei and Mark place their weapons at their feet, and Jongin and Baekhyun move in to handcuff them. Taeyong winces as the metal cuts into his wrists, and he cranes his neck to stare at Jongin, fury burning in his gut.

"Why?"

Jongin doesn't reply.

* * *

Truth be told, Taeyong never expected to be standing (or, well. kneeling) in Lee Taemin's office, but here he is.

The man in question is sitting on the desk, looking like someone trying to pull off a power move and failing miserably. Jongin, Baekhyun, and Ten stand behind them, guns pressed to their heads, and Taeyong stares up at Taemin, unsure of what to say.

"So," Taemin grins, "you thought you could win."

"Yep," Mark simply replies, and Taeyong kinda wants to scream. 

"You're going down, Lee Taemin," he states, meeting Taemin's stone-cold stare. "If not by us, then by someone."

"Oh?"

Taemin hops off the desk and moves to crouch in front of Taeyong, lips curling into a grin. "And who's going to stop me?"

"Us."

Taeyong grins as Jongin, Baekhyun, and Ten all turn to face Taemin, guns angling at the man's head, and the cowboy knock-off seems genuinely stunned.

"What?"

"This is coming to an end, Taemin-ah," Jongin states, eyes narrowed as he stares at his former friend. "This has gone on for too long."

"What are you doing, Jongin-ah?"

There's a slight tremor to Taemin's voice, and something flashes in Jongin's eyes - hurt, maybe? Betrayal? - before they narrow back into shards of flint.

"You've killed hundreds, Taemin-ah."

"They had to die-"

" _You killed Chanyeol_!"

It's Baekhyun that says it, and he raises his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. "You killed Chanyeol-ah, and Jongdae-yah, and _Sehun_ -"

"They couldn't do what had to be done."

"They didn't deserve to _die_!"

"Didn't they?"

Taemin takes a step forwards, and Baekhyun freezes, the younger man effortlessly taking control of the situation. "The world wasn't good with Junmyeon-hyung and Jinki-hyung in charge, Baekhyun-ah. You knew that."

"That doesn't mean-"

"Doesn't it?"

He steps around to place his hands on Baekhyun's shoulders, lips curling into a satanic grin, and Jongin _knows_ that all the bits of the boy who once dreamed of creating a better world are gone. "Doesn't it, Baekhyun-ah?"

"I..."

"Thus always to tyrants," Taemin whispers, and Baekhyun trembles ever-so-slightly as Taemin reaches down to grasp the gun. "Don't you know?"

"Exactly."

A gun fires, and Taemin crumples. 

Baekhyun whips around, gawping at Ten, and the man simply shrugs. "You weren't going to do it. Besides, I just shot him in the leg. It's not like he's gonna _die_."

"Holy shit," Mark breathes, seeming genuinely horrified by this completely normal turn of events. "What the _fuck_."

"What did you think was going to happen?" Ten asks, and Mark shrugs helplessly.

"I don't know! I thought we could talk it out! Not- not shoot him!"

"Mark," Ten deadpans, and Mark makes a very impressive almost-scream.

* * *

"You guys really can't stay?"

Jongin shakes his head, rocking back on his heels. "Yixing-hyung's still out there, somewhere, and Minseok-hyung, too."

"Gotta find them, y'know?" Baekhyun grins, and Taeyong shrugs. 

"Okay. There's always a place for you here, though. You know that, right?"

Baekhyun and Jongin exchange looks, and Jongin eventually nods. "Yeah. Someone has to deal with Taemin."

"He loves being 'dealt with'," Taeyong mutters, and Baekhyun shrugs.

"Of course he does. You put Mark and Yukhei on him. The three of them are like... three puppies. Three really chaotic puppies."

"Mm."

"You should form your team," Baekhyun advises, and Jongin nods. 

"Actually... we already have a name," Taeyong admits. "NeoCity."

"NeoCity... NCT?"

"NCT," Taeyong grins, rolling the name around on his tongue. "I like that."

Baekhyun winks, and Taeyong watches as the pair hop in their car and speed off, a cloud of dust in their wake.

"They're getting it everywhere," he privately grouses, but more than that, he hopes they come back.

(somehow, he has the feeling they will.)

In the meantime, NCT can run this city just fine. Taeyong knows it.

**Author's Note:**

> practice makes perfect ig :) look forwards to more coming in the future!


End file.
